Just another sign of how air travel has been broken by terrorists. Long security queues at airports, insecure locks on our baggage, liquid restrictions, etc. :(
What I meant is that baggage locks (as well as door locks) have always been insecure. The reason that your baggage is seldom stolen is liability faced by airlines, or maybe some other factor, but definitely not the lock. (And even the strongest lock would not prevent someone from lifting your bag off the carousel after the flight and taking time to open it elsewhere later.)
I agree with you, but it still doesn’t justify a TSA spokesperson’s remark on this issue, some time ago, to the effect that it’s okay for keys to be stolen because the locks are only supposed to have a psychological effect on their owners. I’m not sure the TSA has ever said anything about anything that doesn’t amount to “there is no problem, and if there were, it would be somebody else’s”. I would be happy to see yet another article taking them to task, except I’m losing faith that there’s any point.
Oh, it definitely doesn’t justify theft. If someone has a wallet sticking out of a pocket, it doesn’t make it OK to steal it. Likewise, if someone is walking on the street without a bulletproof vest, it doesn’t make it OK to shoot them. Justifying crime by insufficient security measures taking by the victim is victim blaming, pure and simple.
Oh, definitely - locks have never been secure, but even semi-decent ones do help deter the majority of baggage thieves who would prefer an unlocked case to a locked one and who almost certainly lack the skill (and the time) to pick even a basic suitcase lock in the time it takes before a bag hits the carousel. Baggage theft is rife when travelling through certain countries (I know, I used to live in one!) - note how prevalent plastic wrapping of suitcases is these days.
When you fly, you essentially give your bag to other people for several hours. A flimsy lock will not stop a determined attacker in this scenario.
Just another sign of how air travel has been broken by terrorists. Long security queues at airports, insecure locks on our baggage, liquid restrictions, etc. :(
What I meant is that baggage locks (as well as door locks) have always been insecure. The reason that your baggage is seldom stolen is liability faced by airlines, or maybe some other factor, but definitely not the lock. (And even the strongest lock would not prevent someone from lifting your bag off the carousel after the flight and taking time to open it elsewhere later.)
I agree with you, but it still doesn’t justify a TSA spokesperson’s remark on this issue, some time ago, to the effect that it’s okay for keys to be stolen because the locks are only supposed to have a psychological effect on their owners. I’m not sure the TSA has ever said anything about anything that doesn’t amount to “there is no problem, and if there were, it would be somebody else’s”. I would be happy to see yet another article taking them to task, except I’m losing faith that there’s any point.
Oh well.
Oh, it definitely doesn’t justify theft. If someone has a wallet sticking out of a pocket, it doesn’t make it OK to steal it. Likewise, if someone is walking on the street without a bulletproof vest, it doesn’t make it OK to shoot them. Justifying crime by insufficient security measures taking by the victim is victim blaming, pure and simple.
Oh, definitely - locks have never been secure, but even semi-decent ones do help deter the majority of baggage thieves who would prefer an unlocked case to a locked one and who almost certainly lack the skill (and the time) to pick even a basic suitcase lock in the time it takes before a bag hits the carousel. Baggage theft is rife when travelling through certain countries (I know, I used to live in one!) - note how prevalent plastic wrapping of suitcases is these days.
A friend of mine had his bag cut open at an airport. So, evidently, skill is not required.